Pick Your Poison

“THERE’S a bet being made about the future of American health care,” says a White House aide. Ted Kennedy, he explains, is betting that a new prescription-drug entitlement will, over time, expand government control of medicine. The Bush administration, on the other hand, is betting that if the new entitlement is accompanied by free-market reforms, the health-care system will move in the opposite direction.

The aide understates the case: There are lots of bets being made. House Republicans are betting that the White House and Senate Republicans won’t abandon them. The White House is betting that it can abandon them. Senate Democrats are betting that they can threaten to filibuster a reformist bill without having their bluff called. And conservatives are trying to figure out where to place their bets: Should they assume that a bill will pass and try to improve it—or try to blow it up?

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Featured Tags

“THERE’S a bet being made about the future of American health care,” says a White House aide. Ted Kennedy, he explains, is betting that a new prescription-drug entitlement will, over time, expand government control of medicine. The Bush administration, on the other hand, is betting that if the new entitlement is accompanied by free-market reforms, the health-care system will move in the opposite direction.

The aide understates the case: There are lots of bets being made. House Republicans are betting that the White House and Senate Republicans won’t abandon them. The White House is betting that it can abandon them. Senate Democrats are betting that they can threaten to filibuster a reformist bill without having their bluff called. And conservatives are trying to figure out where to place their bets: Should they assume that a bill will pass and try to improve it—or try to blow it up?